Federer fires slam dreams by ending Nadal's long clay streak

With hours of revealing that the emotional stress of parting company with his coach, Tony Roche, had been affecting his form, Roger Federer produced one of the most memorable turnarounds of his career with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-0 win over the Spaniard Rafael Nadal in the Masters Series final here yesterday.

It ended Nadal's record-breaking two-year, 81-match winning streak on clay. It was Federer's first win against Nadal on this surface and it reignited the triple major title holder's belief that now is his best chance to become the first man in 38 years ago to hold all four slam titles.

If Saturday's admission about Roche was intended to be therapy, no one could have expected it to take effect so soon or so spectacularly. Federer had had another indifferent week right until the moment when he was a set and two break points down in the second set, with Nadal trampling all over him. Then, as though a radar screen had been unfrozen, Federer's risk-taking attacks began to find the court. When that happened Nadal found them too potent to contain and the clay-court king began making some uncharacteristic errors. Incredibly, he lost 11 of the last 12 games.

There was much that beggared belief. Federer had often looked inconsolably glum during the week but was now determined to be steely and uncompromising, to attack hard from both wings and to come to the net when reasonably possible, even though it meant errors. "Before when I played him, he was dictating, and today I was," said Federer. "You see the result. It was important to get on top of him early. Even in the first set I wasn't doing too bad, because I was maybe going for my shots too early and if I lose a set that way it's OK. So I wasn't worried."

But as the second set got under way and Federer planted a smash into the net from half-court, the crowd were. A couple of minutes later he was 15-40 down, but the way in which he saved those break points - stridently and fearlessly - lifted them and him too.

The first break Federer made, for 3-1, after a rifling straight forehand which Nadal could not touch, was important. And the one he made to level at one set all had Nadal pulling a face in disgust and then throwing his head back in frustration.

But the most crucial break was the second in the final set, providing a cushion from which it was unlikely that Nadal could come back. It was again achieved by his forehand drive, now back to its imperious best, which was faded one way to make the opening and then swept across court into huge acres which even Nadal's athletic legs could not cover.

Did victory on this surface against the king of clay feel like a breakthrough? Federer agreed that it did. Nadal had said before the final that, win or lose, he would go to Paris equally confident because his preparation had been done. It was a sensible mantra and he repeated it afterwards. But now he has allowed Federer yesterday's triumph, many will doubt whether it is true.